Cleaning operations are becoming more critical during the manufacture of semiconductor wafers. Due to the changing nature of the manufacturing operations and the continuing desire to further reduce feature sizes timely removal of particulate material from semiconductor substrate is critical. Commensurate with the continued desire for reduced feature size is the desire to have process equipment that can provide flexibility in order to maximize equipment utilization and minimize downtime for reconfiguration. Having process equipment that is reconfigurable to perform multiple process operations can reduce the number of tools required, thereby potentially decreasing manufacturing and maintenance costs. In addition, as feature size continues to decrease, semiconductor substrates are increasingly sensitive to contamination.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a robust fluid delivery system that is capable of providing process flexibility for enhanced process performance while minimizing potential sources of contamination.